It’s time for our weekly Friday morning tour around the racing world. From hot laps to the main event, here’s what’s on our mind this week.
Hot Laps: The Southern 500
It would be nice if all the hype entering this weekend’s Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway was about the race itself and not the playoffs. It’s one of the most historic events in all of racing and remains one of the most entertaining races on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Qualifying: Greatness
Thirty-one of the 41 drivers who have won the Southern 500 are also on NASCAR’s list of 75 Greatest Drivers.
First Heat: Still Winning
Dave and Dale Blaney continue to thrill Ohio and Pennsylvania sprint car racers. Both drivers are in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame and have won features this season. On Wednesday night, Dave, who is 60, held off 59-year-old Dale for the victory at Sharon Speedway. They started 10th and 12th, respectively, in the main event.
Second Heat: Chasing No. 10
It seems like only a short time ago that Matt Sheppard was threatening to break through Brett Hearn’s stranglehold on the Super DIRTcar Series, but Sheppard holds a 60-point lead in his quest for a 10th series championship as the tour hits the stretch drive. Sheppard, who was the series rookie of the year in 2003, won his first title in 2010.
Third Heat: It’s Just Plain Fun
David Letterman used to have a bit on his ‘Late Night’ television show where he’d say, “It’s just plain fun to say, ‘Mika Hakkinen.’ Hakkinen was a popular Formula 1 driver during the 1990s.
Thus, we found it ironic this week when Letterman’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing IndyCar Series team hired Estonian driver Juri Vips for the final two races of the season.
It’s just plain fun to say — Juri Vips.
Fourth Heat: Under The Radar
The IMCA Super Nationals (Sept. 4-9) continues to fly under the radar with almost no fanfare from the mainstream media world or from racing’s biggest supporters. Maybe that’s part of what makes it so unique.
Less than a week before the 41st running of the event, a record 1,022 cars from 30 states and three Canadian provinces had already entered the six-day event.
Including this weekend’s Prelude to the Super Nationals, eight consecutive days of racing in six classes are scheduled at Iowa’s Boone Speedway. There were 265 stock cars entered and 240 modifieds. Catch the action on SPEED SPORT TV affiliate IMCA.TV.
Fifth Heat: Special Talent
Scott Dixon finds himself 74 points behind teammate Colton Herta with only two NTT IndyCar Series races remaining, making it unlikely the 42-year-old New Zealander wins a seventh series championship this year.
Still, watching Dixon smoothly save fuel and race away from the field at the same time last week at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., was magical. It’s past time to acknowledge him as one of the all-time greats.
B Main: Where We Racing?
The release of next year’s NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedules produced more questions than answers. Twenty-one dates were released, but only 18 venues were included. Two races were released as “to-be-announced,” and a third, scheduled for Phoenix did not include a venue. There was no explanation from sanctioning body officials, leaving room for continued speculation. Interesting approach.
Feature: Not Skiers Anymore?
Athletes from the Scandinavian countries are known for dominating Nordic skiing, but now it seems they are also fast on the race track.
Three Swedish are currently competing in the NTT Indy Car Series — Marcus Ericsson, Felix Rosenqvist and Linus Lundqvist, while Christian Lundgaard and Bejamin Pedersen are from Denmark. In addition, Indy NXT point leader Christian Rasmussen is from Denmark and series regular Rasmus Lindh is from Sweden.